Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Academic Libraries In Nigeria In The 21st Century, Bappah Magaji Abubakar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Academic libraries in Nigeria must meet the demands the 21st century. The world is witnessing a revolution as a result of developments in ICTs that has permeated all sectors. This paper discusses the paradigm shift in academic library services. It also analyzes academic libraries situation in Nigeria within the context of inadequate funding. If academic libraries in Nigeria are to measure up to expectations in the 21st century, they must develop coping strategies to overcome some of the major challenges.

Icts And Information Needs Of Rural Female Farmers In Delta State, Nigeria, Edwin I. Achugbue, Sylvester O. Anie

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Female farmers in Delta State play an important role in crop production, poultry farming, and socioeconomic development of the communities. This research work investigates ICTs and information needs of rural female farmers in Delta State, Nigeria. It also ascertains the level of their ICT-compliance in the management of agricultural information for increased productivity. The paper uses descriptive survey method to determine the information needs of rural female farmers and the impact of ICTs on rural female farmers. It was discovered that female farmers in Delta State, Nigeria, are very keen to know more about treatments of animals, application of fertilizers, …

Work-Related Stress Among Librarians And Information Professionals In A Nigerian University, Emmanuel Babatunde Ajala

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Workers all over the world face stress. A Nigerian worker has many stress factors in the workplace. Life expectancy is dropping in an alarming rate, from 51.56 to 47.44, between the years 2000 and 2007. The library and information professions have become high stress. An anthropological approach was adopted to look at stress among librarians in the University of Ibadan Library System in Nigeria, using group and individual interviews as a data collection instrument. There were no significant differences between male and the female workers in their perception if workplace stress. Factors of stress in the library include work environment, …

Indispensability Of Library Services To All Professions, C. O. Ajidahun

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Delivered at the Annual Lecture organised by the Nigerian Library Association, Ekiti State Chapter on Tuesday, December 23, 2008 at the Conference Hall, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti.

The Role Of Public Libraries In Promoting Adult Education In Nigeria, Daniel O. Akparobore

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The aim of this article is to help demonstrate that libraries are vital institutions for improving human resources. These human resources are the wealth of nation, and adult education, which helps in the development of these resources, provide foundations for adult learners. Public libraries play a crucial role in lifelong learning and increasing information literacy for adult learners.

Information Needs Of Policy Makers In Nigeria: The Case Of Imo State Civil Service, Emmanuel U. Anyanwu, Enyinna Zander, Desmond Oparaku

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

A questionnaire was used to conduct a study of the information needs of policy makers/senior civil servants in Imo State Nigeria. Work activities and information needs of the policymakers were identified and resources of government libraries were evaluated. It was discovered that the government libraries are not adequate in all aspects. They are underfunded. The sources of information and factors affecting access to information needs were identified. Recommendations include the implementation of Information and Communication Technology.

Information Seeking Behaviours Of Rural Women In Malaysia, Ahmad Bakeri Abu Bakar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examines the information needs and seeking behaviours of women in a rural setting of Malaysia The aim of the study is to identify the information needs of women, and to determine the information sources used by women in a rural village, to determine their information seeking behaviours and to identify any accessbarriers to those sources of information. A sample was selected and given a questionnaire. The return rate was 64 percent. The study revealed that respondents were concerned with information related to food and child education. When seeking information on food and child education, respondents used family or …

User Perception Of Library Services In Academic Institutions In The Southern Districts Of Tamil Nadu, India: A Case Study, C. Baskaran

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper describes the perceptions of academic library users of library services. The study explored user preferences regarding the collection, services such as interlibrary loan, and Web browsing habits.

Newspaper Reading Habits Of University Students: A Case Study Of Chaudhary Charan Singh University, India, Devendra Kumar, Rajkumar Singh, Jamal Ahmad Siddiqui

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study analyzed the newspapers reading habits of university students of Chaudhary Charan Singh University, India. Structured questionnaires were distributed among P.G. Students, M. Phil. Students, and Research Scholars of Chaudhary Charan Singh University, India. Data was gathered on various aspects of newspaper reading habits of university students including languages read, time spent on newspaper reading; sources of newspapers; and which sections of newspapers are read most.

Internet-Based Resources And Services Among Librarians In Tamil Nadu, India, S. Dhanavandan, G. Saravanan, S. Mohamed Esmail, M. Nagarajan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examines the Internet use of library professionals in Tamil Nadu. Questionnaire, interviews, and observation were used to collect data. The data collected were analyzed and inferences made based on standard statistical methods. The finding of this study will assist Internet users in improving their knowledge and skills..

Ict And Collection Management In Public Libraries: A Survey Of South- South Of Nigeria, Daniel Emojorho

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Nigerian public libraries was explored using a questionnaire was used to collect data. The research findings show that ICT improves public library services, but most libraries have not been digitized; hence, a considerable number of staff and users are not ICT-literate

Information Needs And Information-Seeking Behavior: A Survey Of College Faculty At Bahawalpur, Shakeel A. Khan, Farzana Shafique

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this paper is to determine the information needs and information-seeking behavior of college faculty (i.e. teachers and administrators) at Bahawalpur City. A survey was used for the study. The results of the study reveal that current services rendered by the college libraries are not fulfilling the information needs of college faculty to great extent. They search their personal collection in case of urgent need of information instead of visiting the library. Furthermore they mostly rely on informal sources of information. Information technology has affected their information seeking behavior and made information seeking process easier.

Current Status Of University Libraries In Iran: Their Development, Organization, And Services, Abdol Hamid Moarrefzadeh

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

A questionnaire was used to survey the organization and services of more 89 university libraries in Iran. User satisfaction was also surveyed. The results paint a picture of the financial support, administrative structure, services offered, and opinions of users in universities across the country.

Undergraduate Library Instruction In Nigerian Universities: A Case Study Of Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library, Obafemi Awolowo University, Lle-Ife, Nigeria, Chinwe M.T. Nweze

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The effectiveness of a library as an instrument of education is determined by the success with which it is able to provide the user with the information he/she seeks. The philosophy of librarianship is based on the concept of service and the provision of relevant materials for users. Librarians have information dissemination as their predominant function. To this end professional librarians continue to struggle to collect and organize printed and other forms of recorded knowledge in order to satisfy both present and future users. The library can fulfill its function best by pursuing a policy of constant self-evaluation in order …

Use Of Serial Publications By The Academic Staff Of School Of Arts And Social Sciences In Adeyemi College Of Education Ondo State, Nigeria, Samuel O. Ogunniyi, Johnson A. Akerele, Adeola F. Afolabi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The article investigated the use of serial publications in Adeyemi College of Education Library, Ondo, by the academic staff of the School of Arts and Social Sciences. Questionnaire was the main instrument of collecting data from the respondents. Also, complete enumeration sampling method was used. Out of the 49 questionnaires administered, 30 (61.2%) were returned and found useful for analysis. The study found that 20(66.7%) used the serial section of the Library while 10 (33.3%) did not. Also, 12 (6.6. %), 6(20%) and 12 (40%) used the section very often, often and rarely, respectively. It was inferred from the result …

Comparative Analysis Of Research Output Of Federal Universities In Southern Nigeria, Victoria N. Okafor

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study was carried out to compare the research output of academics in science and engineering faculties in southern Nigeria using bibliometric analysis. Descriptive survey method was used for the study. Through stratified random sampling six federal universities were selected out of 13 for the study. Two hundred and ninety-one academic staff with the rank of lecturer II and above were used for the study. The research output considered in this study was counting of journal articles and supervision of postgraduate students. The study showed that University of Benin had the highest publication of all the universities but mainly in …

Services For Conflict Resolution: The Role Of Nigerian Academic Libraries, Michael Onuchukwu Okoye, Mwabuisi T. Imo, Uche H. Igbo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Conflict in simple terms, means a state of disagreement, controversy or opposition. It could also mean the existence of a prolonged battle, struggle or clash between two or more parties. Obegi and Nyamboga (2008), quoting Nicholas (1992) described conflict as situations where two people (or groups) wish to carry out acts which are mutually incompatible. He further states that conflict involves, “the pushing and pulling, giving and taking, process of finding the balance between powers”. In either case, conflict is generally characterized by a breach of peace or understanding among parties involved. Various dimensions to the causes of conflicts have …

Use Of E-Resources And Ugc-Infonet Consortium By The Teachers And Research Scholars In Aligarh Muslim University, Md. Sohail, Md. Imran Ahmad

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Recent developments in Information Technology has changed the world. Libraries and Information Centers have embraced the new information technology more profoundly than many other fields and most of them are currently using electronic products and services. Mention about e-journal consortium. Assess the use of UGC-Infonet Consortium by the Teachers and Research Scholars in Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh Conclude to implement the opinions and suggestions of the users for improving the system.

A Framework Of Cooperation Between Academic Staff And Library Staff For A Meaningful University Education For Students, Ushe Arua

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

There is a need for effective cooperation between the teacher and the library staff, if the students are to be given quality and meaningful university education. By training, attitude, orientation, function, and commitment, the librarian is a teacher in any academic setting. Librarians' responsibilities extend far beyond organizing and maintaining library collections. Their major responsibility is to carry out the educational function of the parent institution. This article explores the role of librarians and suggests ways to strengthen cooperation between librarians and teachers.

Obstacles To Provision And Use Of Development Information In Rural Communities In Nigeria, Amanze O. Unagha, Samuel K. Ibenne

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper focuses on the obstacles to development information provision and use in rural communities in Nigeria, where the impact of the oral tradition remains very strong. A review of the Nigerian rural community and its rural information environment is made. Requirements for development process in rural communities are taken into account. The paper discusses those attributes of information that are counter-productive to the development process in Nigerian rural communities, where more than 70% are known to be illiterate. The successful use of information as a resource for development depends in large part on knowledge of the nature of information …

Spring-Migration Ecology Of Northern Pintails In South-Central Nebraska, Aaron T. Pearse, Gary L. Krapu, Robert R. Cox Jr., Bruce E. Davis

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Spring-migration ecology of staging Northern Pintails, Anas acuta, was investigated in south-central Nebraska, USA. Habitat associations, local movements, settling patterns, arrival dates, residency times and survival were estimated from 71 radiomarked pintails during spring 2001, 2003 and 2004, and diet determined from 130 females collected during spring 1998 and 1999. Seventy-two percent of pintail diurnal locations were in palustrine wetlands, 7% in riverine wetlands, 3% in lacustrine wetlands, 6% in municipal sewage lagoons and irrigation reuse pits and 10.5% in croplands. Emergent wetlands with hemi-marsh conditions were used diurnally more often than wetlands with either open or closed vegetation …

The Scientific Classification Of Wolves: Canis Lupus Soupus, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Gray wolf, timber wolf, red wolf, eastern wolf, brush wolf, arctic wolf, Mexican wolf, maned wolf, Ethiopian wolf, etc., etc. How many kinds of wolves are there? And what are the differences? This is a really good question, and the answer is getting more complicated all the time. Let us start by going back a few years to the way science looked at wolves more traditionally— before the days of the new field of molecular genetics. Molecular genetics examines the actual DNA of animals and tries to classify them according to genetic similarities. ...

What does all this mean in …

Kin Encounter Rate And Inbreeding Avoidance In Canids, Eli Geffen, Michael Kam, Reuven Hefner, Pall Hersteinsson, Anders Angerbjorn, Love Dalen, Eva Fuglei, Karin Noren, Jennifer R. Adams, John Vucetich, Thomas J. Meier, L. David Mech, Bridgett M. Vonholdt, Daniel R. Stahler, Robert K. Wayne

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Mating with close kin can lead to inbreeding depression through the expression of recessive deleterious alleles and loss of heterozygosity. Mate selection may be affected by kin encounter rate, and inbreeding avoidance may not be uniform but associated with age and social system. Specifically, selection for kin recognition and inbreeding avoidance may be more developed in species that live in family groups or breed cooperatively. To test this hypothesis, we compared kin encounter rate and the proportion of related breeding pairs in noninbred and highly inbred canid populations. The chance of randomly encountering a full sib ranged between 1–8% and …

Use Of Cranial Characters In Taxonomy Of The Minnesota Wolf (Canis Sp.), L. David Mech, Ronald M. Nowak, Sanford Weisberg

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Minnesota wolves (Canis sp.) sometimes are reported to have affinity to a small, narrow-skulled eastern form (Canis lupus lycaon Schreber, 1775) and sometimes to a larger, broader western form (Canis lupus nubilus Say, 1823). We found that pre-1950 Minnesota wolf skulls were similar in size to those of wolves from southeastern Ontario and smaller than those of western wolves. However, Minnesota wolf skulls during 1970–1976 showed a shift to the larger, western form. Although Minnesota skull measurements after 1976 were unavailable, rostral ratios from 1969 through 1999 were consistent with hybridization between the smaller eastern wolf and …

Gray Wolf (Canis Lupus) Movements And Behavior Around A Kill Site And Implications For Gps Collar Studies, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Global Positioning System (GPS) radio-collars are increasingly used to estimate Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) kill rates. In interpreting results from this technology, researchers make various assumptions about wolf behavior around kills, yet no detailed description of this behavior has been published. This article describes the behavior of six wolves in an area of constant daylight during 30 hours, from when the pack killed a Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) calf and yearling on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, to when they abandoned the kill remains. Although this is only a single incident, it demonstrates one possible scenario of pack …

Movements Of Wolves At The Northern Extreme Of The Species’ Range, Including During Four Months Of Darkness, L. David Mech, H. Dean Cluff

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Information about wolf (Canis lupus) movements anywhere near the northern extreme of the species’ range in the High Arctic (.75uN latitude) are lacking. There, wolves prey primarily on muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and must survive 4 months of 24 hr/day winter darkness and temperatures reaching 253 C. The extent to which wolves remain active and prey on muskoxen during the dark period are unknown, for the closest area where information is available about winter wolf movements is .2,250 km south. We studied a pack of $20 wolves on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada (80°N latitude) from July 2009 …

Parsing Demographic Effects Of Canine Parvovirus On A Minnesota Wolf Population, L. David Mech, Sagar M. Goyal

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

We examined 35 years of relationships among wolf (Canis lupus) pup survival, population change and canine parvovirus (CPV) seroprevalence in northeastern Minnesota to determine when CPV exerted its strongest effects. Using correlation analysis of data from five periods of 7-years each from 1973 through 2007, we learned that the strongest effect of CPV on pup survival (r = -0.73) and on wolf population change (r = -0.92) was during 1987 to 1993. After that, little effect was documented despite a mean CPV seroprevalence from 1994 of 2007 of 70.8% compared with 52.6% during 1987 to 1993. We …

Problems With Studying Wolf Predation On Small Prey In Summer Via Global Positioning System Collars, Vicente Palacios, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

We attempted to study predation on various-sized prey by a male and female wolf (Canis lupus) with global positioning system (GPS) collars programmed to acquire locations every 10 min in the Superior National Forest of Minnesota. During May to August 2007, we investigated 147 clusters of locations (31% of the total) and found evidence of predation on a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawn and yearling, a beaver (Castor canadensis), ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), and fisher (Martes pennanti) and scavenging on a road-killed deer and other carrion. However, we missed finding …

Mechanisms For Decisions About The Future, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Evolutionary and psychological perspectives on decision making remain largely separate endeavors. The bounded rationality approach integrates these two perspectives by focusing on simple, plausible mechanisms of decision making and the cognitive capacities needed to implement these mechanisms. Decisions about the future provide a class of decisions that lend themselves to a bounded rationality approach. Though many different mechanisms may exist for making decisions about the future, only a subset of these mechanisms actually require a representation of the future. The bounded rationality approach helps focus on the cognitive capacities and decision mechanisms that are necessary for a full understanding of …

Foreword, From Holy Places And Pilgrimages: Essays On India, Robert H. Stoddard

Geography Program: Faculty Publications

This collection of twelve articles continues a long and rich body of information about pilgrimages. Written materials in the form of pamphlets, guidebooks, manuals, itineraries, and treatises about pilgrimages date from antiquity (see, e.g. the discussion in this volume by Rana Singh about ancient epics, pp. 15-20). Travelling to places regarded by worshippers as having extraordinary spiritual power is a phenomenon permeating all religious traditions so it is logical that it appears in various literary forms.